Hoffman Estates teen stabbed after comments on Facebook

An argument that began Monday on Facebook spilled over into real life, ending in a Hoffman Estates teenager stabbing his 17-year-old girlfriend -- the mother of his one-month-old child -- multiple times, authorities said Wednesday.

A Cook County judge set bail at $2 million for Apolinar Serna-Jacob, 17, of the 600 block of Salem Drive, who has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, a class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison. He must post $200,000 to be released from custody.

The argument had to do with the parentage of the baby, born last month to Serna-Jacob and the victim, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Katherine Levine said during Serna-Jacob's bond hearing Wednesday before Cook County Judge Jill Cerone Marisie.

Serna-Jacob and the baby's mother are juniors at Conant High School who began dating in eighth grade.

Serna-Jacob reportedly confronted the girl about charges that he was not the baby's father about 5:30 p.m. Monday at her Hoffman Estates apartment, Levine said. While the mother of the 17-year-old girl stood holding the infant, Serna-Jacob pulled a butcher knife from his pocket and proceeded to stab the victim 16 times in the chest, neck, arms, legs and stomach, authorities said.

During the attack, the teenager's mother ran to bedroom with the baby and locked herself in, while the victim's sister struck Serna-Jacob in an attempt to stop the stabbing, Levine said.

Eventually the sister was able to dial 911. Police responded to a call reporting a stabbing at a residence in the 1100 block of Higgins Quarters Drive around 5:45 p.m. Monday, said Hoffman Estates police Sgt. Darin Felgenhauer.

The defendant admitted to police in a written statement that he brought a knife to the victim's home to kill her, Levine said.

She remains in stable condition at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and is expected to be released in four or five days, prosecutors said.

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